Transporting and firing chest for self-propelled projectiles

ABSTRACT

A transporting and firing chest for self-propelled projectiles comprising guide tubes for the projectiles mounted in a support frame and fuses and firing connections for the projectiles. The said frame is rigidly attached to at least one member for fixing the chest to a support, a filling of light semi-rigid material is disposed in the empty spaces between said tubes and between these latter and a tubular external envelope constituting the lateral walls of the chest, so as to insulate mechanically and thermally the support frame and the guide tubes with respect to the external envelope of the chest.

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Rusbach States Patent [191 Aug. 28, 1973 1 TRANSPORTING AND FIRING CHEST FOR SELF-PROPELLED PROJECTILES [75] Inventor: Maurlce Rusbach, Vernier-Geneva,

Switzerland [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 3,167,278 1/1965 Roberge 89/1.8l6 X 2,961,927 11/1960 Dufour 89/1.8l6 2,972,933 2/1961 Guthrie et al.... 89/l.8l7 X 3,089,390 5/1963 Wilson 89/1.8l9 X 3,194,119 7/1965 Robert et 89/l.8l4

3,357,305 12/1967 Clutz et a]. 89/1.816 X 3,495,497 2/1970 Stangl et a1. 89/1.8l5

Primary Examiner-Samuel W. Engle Attorney-Young & Thompson [5 7] ABSTRACT A transporting and firing chest for self-propelled projectiles comprising guide tubes for the projectiles mounted in a support frame and fuses and firing connections for the projectiles. The said frame is rigidly attached to at least one member for fixing the chest to a support, a filling of light semi-rigid material is disposed in the empty spaces between said tubes and between these latter and a tubular external envelope constituting the lateral walls of the chest, so as to insulate mechanically and thermally the support frame and the guide tubes with respect to the external envelope of the chest.

1 Claim, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEBAme ms 3.754497 sum 3 0F 6 FIG. 4

"I23 FIG. 5

PATENTED M1828 I975 SHEET Q 0F 6 FIG.

TRANSPORTING AND FIRING CHEST FOR SELF-PROPELLED PROJECTILES The present invention has as object the provision of a transporting and firing chest for self-propelled projectiles comprising projectile guide tubes mounted in a supporting frame and fuses and firing connections for projectiles.

This chest is characterized in that said frame is rigidly attached to at least one member for fixing the chest to a support and in that a filling oflight semi-rigid material is disposed in the empty spaces between said tubes and between these latter and an external tubular envelope constituting the lateral walls of the chest.

The attached drawings represent by way of example various embodiments of transporting and firing chests in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 1 is a general view of the chest in longitudinal section along I I of FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view along II II of FIG. 1,

FIGS. 3 and 4 represent schematically chests mounted on a suitable aiming device, seen respectively from the side and from the rear;

FIG. 5 is a partial view to a larger scale in longitudinal section of the chest of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing its fixing to the aiming device of FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a partial longitudinal section of the chest of FIG. 1 showing the firing connections for the fuse of one of the projectiles;

FIG. 7 is a partial transverse section similar to FIG. 2, showing the firing connections of the projectiles assembly contained in the chest;

FIG. 8 is a general view of the variant of the chest in longitudinal section along VIII VIII of FIG. 9,

FIG. 9 is a transverse section along IX IX of FIG.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show an aiming support for the chest variant shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 respectively, seen from the side and from above;

FIG. 12 is a partial view to a larger scale in longitudinal section of the chest variant of FIGS. 8 and 9, showing its rear fixing to the firing device of the aiming support of FIGS. 10 and 11.

In order to assist in a better understanding of the invention, the chests are shown on the drawings with projectile inside them (FIGS. 1, 6, 8) either mounted on a suitable aiming support or on elements of such a support (FIGS. 3 5, and 9 12) but it is to be understood that the subject of the invention is the chest itself.

The transporting and firing chest shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises an external envelope 1, preferably of metal, of tubular form and shaped in cross-section as a square with rounded comers. A rigid supporting frame, comprising three metal elements 2, preferably mounted transversally to said external envelope 1 respectively at its ends and at its centre and four guide tubes 3 each mounted in three successive coaxial orifices 4 possessed by the elements 2 of the frame.

The guide tubes 3 are constructed of cardboard, plastic or plasticised cloth, for example and possess arresting stops 5 intended to prevent any backward movement of the projectile 6 which they are designed to con tain as well as a retaining device 7 for holding the projectile 6 by its rear end, attached to the rear frame element, and designed to prevent any forward movement of the projectile 6. The frame elements 2 also each possess a central orifice 8, in which is mounted a rigid tube 9, preferably of metal, designed for mounting the chest on a support mandrel 10 when the chest is placed in the firing position.

The empty spaces between said tubes 8 and 9, the frame element 2 and the envelope 1 of the chest are filled with a light semi-rigid packing material 11, preferably made of expanded polyurethane.

The rear frame element also possesses in its lower part an orifice 12, in which is mounted an electrical plug 13, to which are connected electrical firing conections 14 for the electrical fuses 15 of the projectile. These electrical connections 14 are also partially buried in the expanded polyurethane material 11.

The front and rear frame elements 2 are also covered with a removable filler plate 16, for example of expanded polystyrene, against which is applied the bottom of the covers 17, the edges of which rest against the open ends of the external envelope 1 of the chest. The locking of these covers 17 on the ends of the envelope l is ensured by a bar 18, threaded at its ends, disposed in the rigid tube 9. The threaded ends of the rod 18 penetrate into orifices opposite the bases of the two covers 17 and wing nuts 19 are screwed onto these threaded ends of the bar 18 to ensure the locking of said covers 17 onto the ends of the envelope 1.

It will be noted that these ends tripod, the external envelope 1 of the chest are furnished with a flexible, the edge packing 20 of rubber for example extending beyond the junction of the edges of the covers 17 and of said ends of the external envelope of the chest.

As shownin FIGS. 6 and 7, the electrical connections 14 of the chest are connected firstly to the plug 13 and secondly to four plugs 21, one for each projectile 6, into which are inserted male terminals with which the ends of the respective electrical connections 22 of each of the electrical fuses 15 of the projectiles are furnished. This plugging in of the electrical connections 22 of each of said electrical fuses 15 into the respective plugs 21 may thus be easily carried out during the placing of the projectiles 6 into the chest.

It should be noted that in this embodiment of the chest, the rigid tube 9 may comprise conducting rings connected by electrical connections to the fuses 15.

Thus the projectiles may be plugged in automatically, by the placing of the chest on the mandrel of the support stand which would carry corresponding conducting rings, to the firing device which could be carried by this support stand.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show standard tripods which may be furnished with aiming devices and which each possess firstly three supporting mandrels 10 designed to engage respectively into the rigid tube 9 of three chests and three terminals 23 designed to engage respectively in the electrical plug 13 of each of these three chests. These terminals 23 are connected secondly to one or more standard firing controls (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 5, the rear frame element 2 of each chest preferably possesses a catch 24 designed to engage a pawl 25 possessed by the rear end of the mandrel 10.

In one variant, the mandrel 10 may possess a locking pawl acting in conjunction with a shape formed on the tube 9 to lock the chest onto the mandrel.

In order to place a chest loaded with projectiles into the firing position, it is therefore necessary only to uncrew one of the two wing nuts 19 holding the two covers 17 of the chest in place, to remove the two covers and the bar 18, to engage the rear end of the tube 9 on a mandrel 10 which forms a part of a support and/ or aiming device ofsome kind, and to engage the terminal 23 of a firing control in the plug 13 of the chest. Once all the projectiles of the chest have been fired, it is necessary only to press on the trip lever 26 of the pawl 25 to free the empty chest and to replace it by a chest filled with projectiles, in order to be able to continue to fire.

Instead of being mounted on a tropod, the mandrel 10 could be sealed in a fixed firing position on theedge of a loophole of a fortification or in a mobile firing position on a military vehicle for example.

Numerous other variants for fixing a chest onto an aiming support may also be envisaged involving modifications in detail to be applied to the chest itself.

Such a variant is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, where two slides 35 and 36 rigidly attached to the median frame member 2 are provided on the lower external face of the envelope 1. These slides 35 and 36 are designed to engage onto two studs 27 and 28 mounted on the plate 29 of an aiming support, of the type shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

In this case the locking catch 24 of the rear frame element 2 of the chest will be provided on the upper edge of the orifice 12 for the plug 13, and the pawl for locking the chest onto the plate will be provided on the firing terminal 23 which should therefore be rigidly attached to the rear edge of the support plate.

Numerous other modifications may also be applied to the chest described. For example its external envelope could be formed of stratified synthetic resin or any other suitable material. Numerous other variants of the front and rear covers 17 may be imagined, as also many variants of the locking device for attaching the covers 17 onto the ends of the envelope 1.

The position and the form of the frame elements 2 may also be modified, provided that they form a rigid assembly with the guide tubes and that at least one of them is rigidly attached to a fixing member for attaching the chest to a support.

Instead of the expanded polyurethane filler, the use of any other semi-rigid material which is easy to introduce, preferably in the liquid or pasty state, into the free spaces between the guide tubes and the external wall of the chest may be envisaged.

It will be noted that in all the embodiments described, thermal and mechanical insulation is obtained of the assembly comprising the support frame and the guide tubes for the projectiles, with respect to the external envelope of the chest.

The mechanical insulation makes it possible to prevent the projectiles from being subjected to violent vibrations or shocks, even if the transporting and firing chest is dropped or otherwise roughly handled. The chest is designed in such a way as to offer sufficient resistance to shocks of any type, as well as to ensure effective protection for the ammunition and for all the fixing members, electrical connections, and closure members, incorporated within its own volume. All projecting external parts are avoided.

This design makes it possible, in case of shocks, to prevent any transmission of deformations to the principal members of the chest or to the projectiles, and also to prevent any adverse effect upon the firing properties.

The thermal insulation thus obtained is considerable, since it enables the variations in temperature to which the projectiles are subjected to be reduced; this is important in view of the changes that take place in the characteristics of explosives and propellants, as well as, in some cases, in the electrical apparatus, as a function of temperature.

The bringing into firing position, utilisation and engagement of these firing chests are similar to those described with reference to the equipment forming the subject of Swiss Pat. No. 498,359.

Finally, this firing chest is preferably used in conjunction 'with the tripod support described in Pat. No. (Swiss Patent Application No. 11.827/).

I claim:

1. Transporting and firing chest for self-propelled projectiles having electrical firing devices, comprising guide tubes for the projectiles, a rigid support frame in which said guide tubes are mounted, said frame comprising a plurality of rigid plates transverse to the tubes and having openings in which the tubes are mounted, means fixedly interconnecting said plates in spaced parallel relationship, firing connections for the projectiles carried by said chest, said firing connections comprising at least one female plug carried by one of said plates and connected by conductors to the firing device of each projectile, at least one member to which at least one of said plates is rigidly attached for fixing the chest to a support, an external tubular envelope surrounding and spaced outwardly from the tubes and plates, a filling of light semi-rigid material disposed between the tubes and plates on the one hand and said envelope on the other hand and surrounding said female plug, the connection between said plates and said at least one member and said support supporting said plates and tubes, said plates and tubes supporting said filling and said envelope, so that damage to said envelope and said filling does not affect said connection. 

1. Transporting and firing chest for self-propelled projectiles having electrical firing devices, comprising guide tubes for the projectiles, a rigid support frame in which said guide tubes are mounted, said frame comprising a plurality of rigid plates transverse to the tubes and having openings in which the tubes are mounted, means fixedly interconnecting said plates in spaced parallel relationship, firing connections for the projectiles carried by said chest, said firing connections comprising at least one female plug carried by one of said plates and connected by conductors to the firing device of each projectile, at least one member to which at least one of said plates is rigidly attached for fixing the chest to a support, an external tubular envelope surrounding and spaced outwardly from the tubes and plates, a filling of light semi-rigid material disposed between the tubes and plates on the one hand and said envelope on the other hand and surrounding said female plug, the connection between said plates and said at least one member and said support supporting said plates and tubes, said plates and tubes supporting said filling and said envelope, so that damage to said envelope and said filling does not affect said connection. 